EP 118 - Russell Thompson (Principal Bassist Arkansas Symphony)

Russell was lucky to grow up in a musical family in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. His mother played the bassoon, his father played the french horn, and his step-father taught saxophone and played jazz. He began playing the bass in 4’th grade, but his interest in classical music began to spark when he began studying with Tracy Rowell and  joined the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO) his sophomore year. It wasn’t until attending the inaugural summer of the National Music Festival in Floyd, Virginia that he considered pursuing music as a career. 

     He earned a bachelors degree in Music Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2015 before going on to earn a Master’s degree at Boston University and a Master of Musical Arts at Yale. He was also a founding member of the disciplinary performance group Artists By Any Other Name based in New York City. During this time, he also found a love of teaching and of encouraging students to reach their fullest potential. 

Thompson is currently pursuing his doctorate at the University of North Texas with Jeff Bradetich. His previous teachers have included Tracy Rowell, Max Dimoff, Edwin Barker, and Don Palma. He plays on a bass made by Oregon luthier Seth Kimmel and a bow by Louis Morizot. 

On The Bass Shed Podcast, Russell candidly discusses his work as a freelance bassist as well his position as Principal Bassist of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, challenges and perspectives of the occupation and his practice routines